Luftwaffe (Third Reich)
The Luftwaffe is the air arm of the German Wehrmacht. It was founded in 1935, and controls most of Germany's military flying units, the national radar network, and the German arsenal of strategic surface to air missiles. It also possesses ground forces in the form of 2 Fallschirmjäger (airborne) divisions and 2 Luftbewegliche (air mobile) divisions. The present Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe is Generalfeldmarschall Arne Kreuzinger-Janik. =Organisation= The Luftwaffe is divided into several regional air fleets (Luftflotten). The Luftwaffe Air Fleets are assigned to OKE and to its subordinate fronts. Some air fleets contain all of the aircraft under a particular front, while others contain some of the aircraft in a front. Luftflotte 1 Luftflotte 1 is assigned to OK Ost in the Eastern Front. It's role is to support the two northern Armies on the Eastern Front. It is equipped with fighters strike aircraft, and close support aircraft. It also has a number of medium bombers. Support aircraft include electronic warfare and reconnaissance aircraft. Luftflotte 2 Luftflotte 2 is assigned to OK Süd, and is based in Italy. Luftflotte 2 is primarily a command formation. Its peacetime German assets include a Geschwader of Tornados (probably intended for nuclear strike, as the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana) has several Gruppi of its own Tornados), a number of command aircraft (converted Airbus A310 aircraft), a Geschwader of tankers, and a small Staffel of liaison aircraft. Its main wartime role would be to control the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, and parts of the French Armée de l'Air, and the Spanish Ejército del Aire. Luftflotte 3 Luftflotte 3 is Germany's strategic transport force. It is assigned directly to OK Europa and supports all other fronts. During wartime, it would control the strategic transport aircraft of all EU air forces. In peacetime, LF3 can charter civil aircraft. Lufthansa is the primary recipient of these charters, however other EU airlines can be used (for instance, support for German forces in Cuba is usually done by Air France, KLM, or British Airways). In wartime, civil airliners are requisitioned by the EU's armed forces. LF3 controls most of those airliners. Smaller regional airliners, however, can be parceled out to the various Fronts. Fallschirmjägerkorps The Fallschirmjägerkorps is assigned to OK Europa as a strategic intervention force. It contains two allschirmjäger (airborne) divisions and two Luftbewegliche (air mobile) divisions. It works with Luftflotte 3. Luftflotte 5 Luftflotte 5 is assigned to OK Abschreckung ("Deterrence" Front) and is equipped with strategic bombers. Its tasks include delivery of strategic nuclear weapons, delivery of tactical nuclear weapons and long range conventional strike (the latter two roles occur when LF5 forces are temporarily assigned to another Luftflotte) Reichsluftverteidigung Kommando The Reichsluftverteidigung Kommando (Reich Air Defence Command) is assigned to OK Zentral and is the German component of Europäische Luftverteidigungskommando (European Air Defence Command). It maintains a network of radars covering the skies from the Arctic Circle to the Canary Islands, and from the western coast of Ireland to Theoderichshafen (Sevastopol). It also maintains a group of ballistic missile warning radars. Its forces include interceptors, and surface to air missiles. Interceptors include the Panavia Pa 200J Tornado (also known as the Tornado ADV or Tornado LVV) used for long range patrol and the Messerschmitt Me 663 used for shorter range engagements. Surface to air missiles cover key points. The Luftwaffe operates long range mobile SAMs and a small (but growing) number of missile defence interceptor missiles. Luftflotte 7 Luftflotte 7 was formed to support the Atlantic Front. It was disbanded in the late 1960s when the Kriegsmarine Naval Air Service took over all maritime aviation tasks. Strategische Flugkörper Kommando The Strategic Missile Command is the counterpart of LF5. As its name implies, it operates intercontinental ballistic missiles. Some of its missiles are based in Germany, but most are based in the General Government, Ostland, and the Ukraine. This decision was taken in order to safeguard German cities from the effects of a "counterforce" strike. This decision was flawed due to the fact that the ground nuclear bursts required to destroy missile silos produce massive amounts of fallout, which would drift to Germany and Western Europe, but the silos were nonetheless built. Today, only a small number of German ICBMs are silo-based. Most of Germany's current ICBM force is mobile. Luftflotte 9 Luftflotte 9 is the third Luftflotte assigned to OK Ost. It includes the transport, refueling, airborne early warning, and battlefield surveillance aircraft of the Eastern Front. It also contains a force of Arado Ar 534 strategic bombers, intermediate range ballistic missiles and Tornado strike aircraft. These are believed to act as a "Front Commander's discretionary strike force". Luftflotte 10 Luftflotte 10 contains training and liaison squadrons. It is based in Germany and reports to OK Zentral. It also performs the Luftwaffe's VIP role. Luftflotte 11 Luftflotte 11 is primarily based in Norway and supports the Northern Front. It is commanded by OK Nord. Like LF2, LF11 is small. It has a small number of strike aircraft, plus command aircraft and tankers. This is not a great disadvantage in wartime, as LF11 would incorporate the Royal Norwegian Air Force. Luftflotte 12 Luftflotte 12 is assigned to OK Ost in the Eastern Front. It's role is to support the two southern Armies on the Eastern Front. It is equipped with fighters strike aircraft, and close support aircraft. It also has a number of medium bombers. Support aircraft include electronic warfare and reconnaissance aircraft. It is smaller than Luftflotte 1. In wartime, it would incorporate the Romanian, Hungarian, and Bulgarian air forces. Luftflotte 13 Luftflotte 13 is the newest German Air Fleet. It is based in German Palestine and supports the South Eastern Front under the command of OK Südost. It operates across the Middle East, providing support to the air forces of Iraq, Syria, and Egypt. In wartime it includes the Italian units in Italian East Africa and French units in Lebanon. In a Middle Eastern conflict, these Axis forces are intended to contain Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Emirates. =Aircraft= Bombers ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Aircraft ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Role ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Versions ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Service Entry ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Comments |-style="background:#efefef; color:black" | Focke-Wulf Ta 800 | Strategic bomber, cruise missile carrier | Ta 800 D Ta 800 F Ta 800 G | 1954 (G model: 2000) | See below for other roles |- |'Arado Ar 534 Blitz III' |Supersonic heavy bomber |Ar 534 A |1983 |Variable geometry |-style="background:#efefef; color:black" |'Junkers Ju 788' |Supersonic medium bomber |Ju 788 B |1980 |Variable geometry |- |'Junkers Ju 332' |Subsonic medium bomber |Ju 332 D |1957 (D model: 1989) |Crescent wing http://www.aviastar.org/pictures/england/handley_victor.gif |} Tactical Fighter/Attack Aircraft ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Aircraft ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Role ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Versions ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Service Entry ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Comments |-style="background:#efefef; color:black" | Panavia Pa 200 Tornado | Interdiction/Strike Interceptor Electronic Warfare | Pa 200 A Pa 200 J Pa 200 E | Pa 200 A: 1979 Pa 200 J: 1985 Pa 200 E: 1990 | Collaborative European design |- |'Eurofighter Eu 2000 Taifun' |Multi-role strike fighter (A) Conversion trainer (B) |Eu 2000 A Eu 2000 B |2003 |Collaborative European design, intended to replace the Ta 390 and Me 663 |-style="background:#efefef; color:black" |'Messerschmitt Me 663' |Me 663 A Me 663 B Me 663 C Me 663 D |Strike fighter |1984 (C/D: 1992) |Primary fighter of the Luftwaffe |- |'Messerschmitt Me 609 |Me 609 C Me 609 D |Strike fighter |1973 |Secondary fighter of the Luftwaffe, now serving with only two Geschwader |-style="background:#efefef; color:black" |'SEPECAT Ta 390 Jaguar' |Ground attack |Ta 390 C (attack) Ta 390 D (trainer) |1973 |Collaborative European design |- |'Focke-Wulf Ca 393 Weihen' |Close air support |Ca 393 F, Ca 393 H (single-seat) Ca 393 G, Ca 393 J (twin-seat) |1969 (F: 1992) |STOVL aircraft, most development work by British Aerospace under the name Harrier |- |} Strategic Transports/Tankers ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| '''Aircraft' ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Role ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Versions ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Service Entry ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Comments |-style="background:#efefef; color:black" | Messerschmitt Me 623 Gigant III | Strategic transport Outsize cargo lifter | Me 623 C | 1972 (C model: 1995) | Largest, heaviest aircraft in the world. Six engines, 250 tonne payload |- |'Airbus A500M' |Strategic transport |A500M |1988 |Four-engined cargo aircraft, maximum payload 75 tonnes |-style="background:#efefef; color:black" |'Junkers Ju 652' |Tanker |Ju 652 LB |1973 |Four-engined jet airliner, used as a tanker. Last wholly German jet airliner. http://www.aviastar.org/pictures/england/bac_vc-10.gif |- |'Airbus A310 MRTT' |Tanker/transport |Ab 310 LT |1985 |Convertable for cargo, passenger, or refueling roles |-style="background:#efefef; color:black" |'Airbus A330 MRTT' |Tanker/transport |Ab 330 LT |2006 |Convertable for cargo, passenger, or refueling roles |- |[[Focke-Wulf_Ta_800|'Focke-Wulf Ta 800 (transport)']] |Tanker Transport |Ta 800 LB Ta 800 T |1965 (current version: 1989) |Airliner-type fuselage |} Tactical Transports ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Aircraft ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Role ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Versions ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Service Entry ! style="text-align: center; background: #aabccc;"| Comments |-style="background:#efefef; color:black" |'Fiat/Junkers G.222' |Tactical transport |Ju 222 |1978 |Italian design |- |'Transall C-160' |Medium tactical transport |Tr 160 B |1967 |Franco-German collaboration |-style="background:#efefef; color:black" |'Airbus A400M' |Medium tactical/strategic transport |Ab 400 |2006 |Replacement for the Tr 160 |} VIP Aircraft *Airbus Konkord *Airbus A330CJ *Airbus A319CJ *Blohm & Voss Ha-320 Utility/Liaison Aircraft *Dornier Do 27 *Dornier Do 28 *Dornier Do 228 Electronic Warfare/Surveillance Aircraft *Panavia Pa 200E Tornado http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panavia_Tornado#Tornado_ECR *Airbus A310MZF Airborne Early Warning aircraft http://www.fas.org/programs/ssp/man/uswpns/air/special/e310.html *Focke-Wulf Ta 800 ZF Airborne Early Warning aircraft *Focke-Wulf Ta 800 FEA ELINT aircraft (Fernmelde- und Elektronische Aufklärung) *Focke-Wulf Ta 800 AK Reconnaissance aircraft (Aufklärung) *EADS Eu 100 Barrakuda UAV Trainers *Grob Gr 115 *Focke-Wulf/Piaggio FWP.149 D *Messerschmitt/Macchi MeM 339 D http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aermacchi_MB-339 *Blohm & Voss Ha-320 =Rank Insignia= Ceremonial/Service Uniform Officers The rank of Reichsmarschall is held by the Reichspräsident. It was originally created as a Luftwaffe rank for Hermann Goering (1893-1965). The Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe is a Generalfeldmarschall. Enlisted Men Flying Dress/Camouflage Uniform Officers Enlisted Men =Military Aircraft Markings of Germany= National Insignia This Balkan Cross is the standard national marking of Germany. It appears on all German military aircraft. It is usually placed on both sides of the fuselage, and above and below both wings. It has been in use since 1935. Tail insignia This "lined Swastika" is the standard tail marking of all German military aircraft. it has been in use since 1939. Before that, the national flag was used, but was found to be too conspicuous. Heeresflieger Heeresflieger markings are the same as Luftwaffe markings, but the word HEER is added. Marineflieger Marineflieger aircraft use standard national markings, but he word MARINE is added, as is the stylised winged anchor shown below. Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps (National Socialist Flyers Corps) The NSFK is provides an aviation arm to the Waffen-SS. Its aircraft use standard national markings with the addition of SS runes. Category:Greater German Reich